Ocean Facts for Kids
Earth’s ocean is one connected body of salt water divided into five named oceans. It shapes climate, supports enormous food webs and hides mountains, trenches and ecosystems far below the surface.
Quick facts about the ocean
- Ocean water covers about 71 percent of Earth’s surface.
- The five named oceans are the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic.
- The Pacific is the largest and deepest named ocean.
- Ocean water is salty because dissolved minerals and salts accumulate in it.
- The average ocean depth is several kilometers.
- Tides are strongly influenced by the gravity of the Moon and Sun.
- Ocean currents move heat around the planet.
- The seafloor includes ridges, plains, volcanoes and deep trenches.
- The ocean absorbs large amounts of heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Much of the deep ocean remains difficult to observe directly.
Questions Kids Ask About the Ocean
How many oceans are there?
Scientists and mapmakers commonly recognize five named oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic. They are all connected parts of one global ocean.
Why is the ocean salty?
Water dissolves minerals from rocks on land and carries some of those dissolved substances into rivers and eventually the sea. Seafloor processes also add dissolved materials to ocean water.
What is the deepest place in the ocean?
The deepest known part of the ocean is Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific. It is nearly 11 kilometers below sea level.
Explore the Five Oceans
- Pacific Ocean: The largest and deepest named ocean.
- Atlantic Ocean: Between the Americas and Europe and Africa.
- Indian Ocean: Between Africa, Asia, and Australia.
- Southern Ocean: Surrounds Antarctica.
- Arctic Ocean: Around the North Pole.
Test What You Learned
- What is the largest named ocean? The Pacific Ocean.
- How much of Earth is covered by ocean? About 71%.
- What mainly drives tides? The gravity of the Moon and Sun.
- What is the deepest known ocean area? Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.
- Are the five named oceans completely separate bodies of water? No. They are connected parts of one global ocean.
Why this topic is interesting
The ocean stores and moves heat around the planet, supports life and connects weather, climate, geology and biology.
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